There is no chance of a spell failing, and magicka regenerates quickly. It also means it has no way to create restrictions on your character. Because Skyrim doesn’t bring back the guild hierarchies from previous installments, the only limit on how fast you can progress is how fast you can quest. The test just happens to be an absolute joke. Before you can join, you must pass a test to see if you have enough magic aptitude to be admitted. There are also some more egregious missteps. Your fellow students don’t build on their roles meaningfully, and your only interaction with them is in helping them with one (sometimes interesting) task apiece.There are also no other lessons like the one seen in the opening, thus failing to depict the daily life it was going for. The disappointment here is that these elements aren’t built upon. The tour of the grounds and the magic lesson not only get you familiarized with the space and people of the College, but it reinforces that it is an institution of learning. Snark aside, there are some glimmers of potential here, though they are in the minority.
The College Of Winterhold is Skyrim’s version of the Mages Guild from previous entries.